[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6258333,"mediaKeyId","3148458-80d67f415f72ebecfda5a91d96b965f5","parentId",3148458,"title","Lawmakers consider $100,000 increase for older-blind services; HHS says demand is rising","audioSeconds",123,"startMs",1992350,"endMs",2115680,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3148458-80d67f415f72ebecfda5a91d96b965f5&start=1992&end=2115","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3148458-80d67f415f72ebecfda5a91d96b965f5/thumbnail_1992350.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6258333/North-Dakota/Lawmakers-consider-100000-increase-for-older-blind-services-HHS-says-demand-is-rising","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6258333-a6efbb30aa4acbe6b79ad12a479929ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1771024162&Signature=HhnSI2v3uP1Oyooo9khzPBAg8Fmag6HFuRtV~wFBKbG3r1kfM9OjA98v4yLGkPfPt3ArXsPjD2fAcP6n2NALBsD1I51C62a5OlgTafPP0MHcbHDEfT5zRRsrhh1wtzGuFoSqBqTtcm9vlgodlms6kFT8ztnJv8YDghy5pfNO3F8MQyiAvTPlzZQgPC-5xguq03KfDyXt3~w0hOjQ9BdExqk7ZLnYJ7jupr-BVvcIjc6Sj5q6-jfVp7lvNBXo~QLIvlgvvqwUAsT9wSMUSXTv03fFDyUG4QtDHUm1i0hG0CUptq17pu7Fsmxxahj8ckYdneCHnHLVXzR5qQ-N2SBAyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota Legislature","date","2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","article","A committee member asked the conference committee to consider adding $100,000 to services for older adults with vision impairment under the state vocational rehabilitation program.

Senator Devere said the program has been level-funded since about 1987 and that his mother’s experience prompted him to raise the additional appropriation during committee discussion. Jessica Thomason of the Department of Health and Human Services' VR team told the committee the program lives in the VR division and that rising demand means the agency could put additional funds to use for adaptive technology, field assessments, or additional capacity.

Why it matters: Lawmakers noted adaptive technology and in-home assessments can help people with vision impairment remain in their homes and avoid higher-cost care settings. Thomason said the program was not in the department’s original budget request but that increasing the appropriation could be put to use.

Committee reaction and next steps: Members expressed support for the concept and agreed to hold the item for later consideration in the behavioral‑health discussion. No formal appropriation was approved during this session; HHS said it would work with the committee to determine the best use if funds are authorized.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HB 1012 Conference Committee Apr 29, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A senator asked the conference committee to consider a $100,000 increase for older-blind services within vocational rehabilitation; HHS said demand is rising and the agency could use additional funds for technology, assessments, or outreach.","taxTitle","House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28308,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6258335,"Lawmakers press for assurance on Williston CHI behavioral-health beds; discuss progress reports and recapture language",882,2408860,3291370,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3148458-80d67f415f72ebecfda5a91d96b965f5&start=2408&end=3291","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3148458-80d67f415f72ebecfda5a91d96b965f5/thumbnail_2408860.jpg","/articles/6258335/North-Dakota/Lawmakers-press-for-assurance-on-Williston-CHI-behavioral-health-beds-discuss-progress-reports-and-recapture-language","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6258335-ccd58b9f826e8638696e7b79fe31f6c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771024162&Signature=ibh3aCgDkCrALKhTBocrGgvTdaHgEBq2nVKzu7AxAHBrPpPWfFRvVp7XlA~Yp5asfsGn2lnwD-~M1FIsSPVxYL9F~CobuScsvWECZKlyeFSYfjKcfkQR0SFOmaHkC6iL8BdhjpX06FCqbDZJZ2aHpz6KIT2x-YnXy7Nb5I8WxGT5rIFptq3-szujCttVk1snCiUqRrjlSNMYgvTIn9jCzyH4~BKsoY-7RJXEu441b7hFh1sSaj8QzNYkXmbMk5j8aTAU9HAOMXEhIggdkudKCWUN1N0Zagy2Rj~TP2CXPZLmd132sw5P2ul3v8VwaQIiXLn6RsjnW8m7OKFr0NSMsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Conference committee members debated an additional $1.5 million request to complete a 10-bed behavioral-health facility in Williston funded in the current biennium, raised concerns that prior appropriations remain unspent, and asked staff to add progress reports for facility grants to the budget sections.

Why it matters: The committee has previously appropriated funds for behavioral-health facility grants. Members said they want assurance projects will proceed before committing more money, and several suggested adding regular reporting so appropriators can track progress.

What committee members said: Several legislators said the county and regional needs in Western North Dakota justify the earlier appropriation but noted that projects funded in the prior session have not yet opened. “I would be interested in knowing what assurance we have that it's gonna happen,” one senator said, asking whether the department could provide confirmation that construction would proceed.

Chairman Nelson said he did not want the project to be stopped automatically if construction is underway at year-end: “I don't think that we want to stop this project on December 31 if they're making progress.” Committee members discussed language in the draft that would recapture funds if grant recipients were out of compliance and whether the department should distinguish between funds spent and projects finished.

HHS and staff responses: Pam Segnus of the Department of Health and Human Services said Section 28 of the draft contains a carryover of $1.95 million and that the requested additional $1.5 million included a December 2025 end date in the draft. Segnus offered to work with the committee to clarify recapture and timing language.

Committee action and follow-up: Committee staff agreed to add reporting requirements so that each budget section would receive progress updates on facility grants; staff and HHS also noted that Section 51 of the draft already included reporting language. Members asked HHS and the facility to provide periodic updates so appropriators could monitor construction and implementation.

Next steps: Staff said it would draft language to clarify the difference between projects that have started and funding that would end on a date; the committee asked for monthly progress checks and the inclusion of facility grant reports in the relevant budget section.","Committee members debated a request for an additional $1.5 million to complete a 10-bed behavioral-health facility in Williston, questioned why earlier appropriations were not spent, and asked staff to add progress-reporting requirements to facility grants.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6258340,"Conference committee agrees to fund Free Through Recovery and Community Connect at House levels, removes $2.5M jail behavioral health appropriation",1167,742030,1909880,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3148458-80d67f415f72ebecfda5a91d96b965f5&start=742&end=1909","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3148458-80d67f415f72ebecfda5a91d96b965f5/thumbnail_742030.jpg","/articles/6258340/North-Dakota/Conference-committee-agrees-to-fund-Free-Through-Recovery-and-Community-Connect-at-House-levels-removes-25M-jail-behavioral-health-appropriation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6258340-fe2b3366b30a2ac671c88d693bd9c842/orig.mp4?Expires=1771024163&Signature=nUjzV1wOv-AxZwnAvk0Ecy~yRVZO7rL4Sx1oUch23kBYnyE~fEwIBrA0XGC8XA4YFV95G81tLiOfzwdiFNK68RsurRUYX9PZ13ysHHYIpFe9yb2MznF9ucrlCdzfiGuymDeHrSF~dTt-9sQFgB3vNWB10W7HeXXUyVpmpSuNMM4dKRl3pcQckO0yEXvjKflCoDuafI0Ybd0YtsCJpnzmPUvil-cQ4-TbZy5tia8xrEDkfaMilbM2jU3M4ayP41WT5aaM4wHvPm5AtfU6vuwPv5aIhhaGsFF72wAUntZzT7pIcUJoXz~8JlZbcH3OBq06N-5y-XNrqj6gTYda-kb3Kw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A legislative conference committee voted 5–1 on Thursday to fund two behavioral-health programs at the House funding level and to remove a $2.5 million appropriation that had been proposed for mental-health services in county jails.

Senator Mark Davidson moved the motion to “fund Free Through Recovery and Community Connect at the House level” and to remove the county-jail behavioral-health appropriation; Representative Kathryn O’Brien seconded the motion. The roll call recorded five yes votes and one no, and the motion carried.

Why it matters: Free Through Recovery and Community Connect are state-supported programs that provide community-based services and jail-linked rehabilitation supports. Lawmakers said keeping the House funding reflects concerns about service availability in rural areas and the programs’ roles as lower-cost alternatives to incarceration.

What the committee heard: Pam Segnus of the Department of Health and Human Services told the committee the base budgets and the department’s executive requests. For Community Connect she said the base budget in fiscal 2025 was about $15.4 million; to maintain the program at the current census would require about $2.3 million more, and an expansion to serve up to 2,000 participants would require an additional $4.4 million. Segnus also said Community Connect currently has roughly 571 people on a wait list.

On Free Through Recovery Segnus said the base was about $15.5 million; the department’s maintenance request was about $2.4 million and the larger expansion request was roughly $4.0 million before the Senate reduced that expansion to $2.0 million. She also said the Department of Corrections is serving about 40% of those who qualify for Free Through Recovery at the current 1,500-person level.

Supporters framed the programs as relatively low-cost. “We can reimburse a provider for serving someone what would be less than 3 days of jail, to provide them services throughout the whole month,” Segnus said, describing the programs as pay-for-outcome models.

Senator Davidson, who made the successful motion, said the programs are especially important in more rural parts of the state where traveling long distances for services is a barrier. Senator Cleary had earlier proposed reducing the programs’ funding by half; committee members agreed to table that proposal before taking the successful House-level funding motion.

The vote: Chairman Nelson — yes; Representative O’Brien — yes; Representative Mitscock — no; Chairman Deaver — yes; Senator Cleary — yes; Senator Davidson — yes. The motion carried 5–1.

Next steps: Committee staff will circulate an amendment reflecting the committee’s decision and removing the jail appropriation language. HHS staff said they would email a draft amendment to members and clarify effects on the bill’s Section 36 language.","A conference committee voted 5–1 to keep House funding levels for two behavioral-health programs — Free Through Recovery and Community Connect — and to remove a $2.5 million appropriation for mental-health services in county jails.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lawmakers consider $100,000 increase for older-blind services; HHS says demand is rising

Lawmakers press for assurance on Williston CHI behavioral-health beds; discuss progress reports and recapture language

Conference committee agrees to fund Free Through Recovery and Community Connect at House levels, removes $2.5M jail behavioral health appropriation